It is interesting how the relativity of experiences changes over time. I went from having to take a shower every single day to going a month without one (if I had to). I went from needing a soft bed to only being able to sleep well on the ground. I went from eating three meals a day to eating one a day. Still, I stay pretty clean, I am able to sleep each night, and I eat enough to stay alive.
One thing I also used to do was worry about contracting insect-borne diseases, after having Lyme disease in October 2013. And, in the same way that I have adjusted to personal hygiene, sleeping and eating, I've adjusted to the probability that I may get Lyme disease.
On this morning I did an extensive search with my little mirror and found three deer ticks on me. They were very small, but engorged. I also felt a tiny hard thing on the back of my neck, pulled it off and saw that it was the head of a tick (that I had probably killed in my sleep). I have not yet seen the telltale bullseye, but I will continue to keep an eye on things. My point? I know longer worry about it.
We're all going to die. Our individual circumstances dictate a certain percentage of risk and set of potential ways that the end will catch up to us. The same can be said for becoming very sick or injured. On the other hand it is just as likely that nothing at all will happen.
The curve of probability for contracting Lyme will rise sharply as I move north and the ticks really begin to get their acts together. Mosquitoes will also be a bigger problem as the weather grows warmer. The fact is that I simply have to push my way through it all. Only in July will we know for sure if I will wallk away unscathed.
These are the things I was thinking about as I packed up, wiped down and left for my self-assignment: the exploration of Marye's Heights, the location of the final act in my Ghosts in Gray and Blue story.
To get there, I needed to head east on Cowan, then south down Route 1--the road I used to walk into Fredericksburg, take a left onto Blue and Gray Highway, left onto William and then poke around for a way into the battleground...
A beautiful flowering tree on William.
Eventually, I found my way in and took these photos as I sought out the specific place to the south of Marye's Heights...
I really like the simple design and size of this little house still standing.
I can see this back roof as a great roof for rain collection. It is large enough.
The trench used by the Confederates to mow down Union soldiers.
This photo is actually from the Second Battle of Fredericksburg on May 3, 1863
But it probably looked very similar to the first.
This painting depicts the charge of the Union's Irish Brigade.
They fought their Irish brothers on the Confederate side.
In this battle the Brigade lost 1,344 of its 1,600 men!
This battle had a huge number of soldiers engaged; nearly 200,000. People forget that there were more American casualties - by far - in the Civil War than any other war in US history. In fact, there were over 620,000 casualties in the Civil War and just over 640,000 casualties in ALL other US wars!
It was on the other side of this wall that my characters, Sammy and Tommy were killed together.
Restaurant across the street.
I made the following video to tie all of the above together. Thanks for watching it!
As you can see in the video above, I actually found the spot I had seen in the vision that led to my story! I was completely convinced that it was the place. The tree I saw growing there would not have been there in those days, but one like it could have been. Nevertheless, it was THIS tree that I saw and then wrote about, and now had found...
It was a very productive day, and I was quite personally satisfied. I returned to my sleep spot inspired to make the video and very happy that I had chosen to take the effort to explore the battlefield. The tent went up, the Alex went in, and the sleep took him away...
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